The present invention generally relates to a card printer, such as an identification card printer. Some aspects of the present invention relate to reverse-image identification card printers.
Reverse-image identification card printers generally utilize an intermediate transfer film or ribbon on which an image is printed by a printhead. The printhead is typically a thermal printhead that operates to heat different colored dye panels of a thermal print ribbon to transfer the colored dye from the print ribbon to a panel of transfer film and form the image thereon. The printed image on the transfer film is then registered with a card or other substrate and the image is transferred to a surface of the card from the transfer film.
Such reverse-image identification card printers are complicated devices and improvements are in continuous demand. For example, there is a continuous demand for improved reliability and improved print quality. Additionally, there are demands for improving the process by which the print and transfer ribbons are loaded. Finally, there are demands to make the printers more compact.